TMNT Modern
by Linkrules-88
Summary: I have often wondered what it would be like if the turtles we know and love were born human and had to survive there biggest challenge even...high school. Please no flames this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, hope you enjoy it XD I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
1. Chapter 1

**The Crash: Flashback **

A beautiful woman with long flowing auburn hair and deep blue eyes had left the 1st street elementary school with her second youngest son Donatello or as his family affectionately like to call him, Donnie. Susan Hamato smiled at her little boy while he chatted excitedly in the back seat, his light auburn hair some such like his mothers fell into his ember eyes with his large gap tooth smile stretched across his face at the 1st place trophy sitting on the seat right next to him as they drove home from the annul science fair that the school preform for their students.

The loving mother sat happily in the front seat of the car as she listened to every word of her precious little genius go on about his project and the reaction the judges had over the 3rd graders level of intelligence. His enthusiasm was off the charts as he waved his arms around living it up in his victory, she grinned into the rear view mirror at his gap tooth smile as she told him how proud she was of him and that his brothers and father would be just as proud once they reached her eldest son Leonardo's Karate match.

Turning her attention back to the road as they neared the intersection ahead only to have everything change in the blink of an eye; Time seemed to move in slow motion as a loud horn honked from her left her head wiped sideways just in time to see a transport truck skidding through the red light and crashing full force into the driver's side of the car. Small screams cried out as glass shattered in every direction, metal creaking and groaning as the sides of the car where dented inwards, skidding along with the trucks momentum only to finally come to a stop 10 feet from the intersection almost completely pulling the car under its grill along the way.

…

The driver of the truck hopped out of his vehicle looking around at the destruction this harsh New York winter had caused. Chaos had broken out as people were screaming around him phones out as they tried to call 911 hoping that the people in the car would be alright. Slowly the driver moved his way around the destruction and looked inside the totaled vehicle trying to call out to the people in the wreckage to see if he could help them at all before to paramedics got there, and judging by those stirrings it would be soon. He leaded down to look at the women in the driver's seat her head was down on the string wheel blood covered her face in deep gashes and her body was broken in more ways than one as the car had almost completely crumbled under the weight of the truck crushing her along with it.

It was a sight he wished he never had to witness as he reached out with a shaking hand towards the women and placed two fingers on the women's neck looking for a pulse…there was none. She was gone. Pulling his hand away he dropped his head down in grief, but stopped as he spotted a smaller white hand in the backseat of the vehicle just over the women's shoulder. 'No' he thought as he dashed over the hood towards the back passenger side door of the car not pinned down by the trucks grill and lend inside the window were a small boy maybe 8 or 9 sat half curled over and covered in blood dripping down from his forehead, where it most likely collided with the window knocking him unconscious. His skin was pale and his breathe was shallow and seemed to have a slight wheeze to it as he wondered if the kid would be able to survive this.

Until all hope left him as he saw a large chuck of metal sticking out from the his trucks grill directly into the small boy's side, it looked like it went down through his rib cage and out his lower back on the left side most likely damaging some internal organs as he also noticed a small line of blood running down the child`s mouth. A grimace of pain on the poor kids face even through unconsciousness was clear on the amount of pain he was forced to endure, but before he could get any closer a hand dropped down onto his shoulder startling him slightly and whipping around to see who it could be.

The EMT's had arrived on scene and pulled him away from the area in order to get to the child; they worked fast with gentle hands checking over the child and calling for tools to help cut him out. The chaos seemed to spread as Firefighters brought over what looked like giant bolt cutters and worked with the Medics in order to save this young boy's life.

Within a matter of minutes they succeeded in cutting the metal off the grill and pulling the child out of the now missing door and carefully pulling the boy out of the vehicle and placed him onto the stretcher. The truck driver was in shocked as he could still see the metal rod still stick out of the kid's side, the damage looked worst now that he was out of the car as the crisp white sheets were already beginning to turn red with his life's blood as the EMT's rushed pass him. The medics kept him on his side as to not aggravate the wound more while they lifted the stretcher up into the ambulance slamming the doors shut behind them and quickly driving off as fast as they could.

His eye's drifted over to the little boy's late mother, her body had been removed from the wreckage in the middle of the chaos and placed into a black body bag beside the car before being lifted up again and carried away into another ambulance. Police were running the perimeter of the scene keeping people back and taking statements, to find out the true nature of the accident.

It was then that the driver noticed a voice calling out to him, the officer stud behind him asking him if he was alright as well as questioning him about the crash, he told the officer the truth; that he had lost control of the truck on some ice and honked the horn as he skidded into the intersection on the road and crashed into the families vehicle pulling it along with it. With a sad look in his eyes the officer had turned him around and brought him towards the cursor reading him his rights as he helped him into the back cage of the cursor were he could bring him into the station to await trail.

Later on the truck drive known as David Cole would be brought up on charges of involuntary manslaughter and a count of reckless driving, where he will be sent to prison to live out his sentence of 5 years without bail.

**End Intro**


	2. Chapter 2

_I'd first like to take the time to thank **ducky mikey, xXRaphaels GurlXx, **and** Mikeyluver97** for giving me my first fanfiction reviews ever. Thank you so much for your kind words, and i will do my best in updated this story ever month or so if i can. So thank you all for reading and reviewing. Hope you like it._

**...**

**Hospital: Flashback - Pt.1**

The EMT's managed to pull into the hospital's emergency entrance exactly 10 minutes later with the young boy and rushed him into the O.R yelling orders to the nurses on staff.

"White male, between the ages of 8/9 name (Science Fair name tag) Donatello Hamato: severely injured, large metal rode pierced through his abdomen and lower back, lung collapsing, heavy blood loss AP 20/60 and dropping we need to get him into surgery asap". The nurses and doctors scrambled as the raced to prepare the operating room wheeling the boy in and moving him off the stretcher and onto the bed. Tensions were high as the surgeons began their work tirelessly as they tried to keep this young child alive, managing to keep him stable long enough to complete the surgery.

It was a long and gruelling day as the hours ticked by, the waiting room was filling up with news reporters trying to get the story of what happened to the mother and son in the crash, only to be forced out of the waiting room by hospital security.

Minutes later Hamato Yoshi raced into the emergency room with his three sons following close behind, reaching the front desk he began franticly asking questions to the nurses station about his wife and son (not hearing anything from the police officer who had called him earlier with the news of his wife and second youngest son other than they had been in an accident and what hospital they were stationed at) "Susan and Donatello Hamato where are they where is my wife and son?".

The receptionist gave the worried family a sadden look as she inform them about the person in question "Your Son should still be in the O.R. and will be moved to the ICU once is surgery is finished for recovery" pointing the way to the third floor waiting room.

Hamato Yoshi paused as he registered what the women said "And my Wife? Susan Hamato where is she?" the receptionist dropped her head in grief at the news she was about to give the father and children in front of her "I-I'm sorry sir, but… only your son was brought into the emergency room this afternoon. Mrs. Hamato was… was brought into the hospitals mortuary. I'm sorry" she repeated again as the words left her mouth pain filled the fathers figures as he stared in stock at the nurse in front of him not wanting to believe it. A deep sadness filled him as he looked down at his three sons all crying and/or trying to comfort each other. The youngest of his three boys with his blonde curly hair and bright blue eyes began crying which the other dark haired boy with dark blue eyes pulled him into a tight hug trying to calm him down, "It's okay Mikey, mommy's in heaven now, right Raph" Leonardo whispered looking over his shoulder, at his immediate younger brother beside him with spiky reddish brown hair that stuck up in every direction and emerald green eyes. Raphael's head was bowed fists clenched together so tightly at his sides they began to shake slightly from the effort of trying not to cry; to stay strong for his brothers "Y-ya Mikey, mommas in heaven now."

Hamato Yoshi bend down and picked up his youngest son, Michelangelo responding by dropping his head into the crook of his father's neck and continuing to release silent cries. With a heavy heart he pulled his other two sons into a loving hug that said volumes to each of them, staying like that for a good minute or two before Hamato Yoshi spoke up, "Come my son's, let us not keep your brother waiting" his voice was calm holding an air of sadness to it, filled with the loss of his beautiful Susan and the grave injuries he felt his second youngest son may have faced.

Standing up from his crutch positions with his children he took his second eldest son's hand and pulled Raphael forward while calling to his eldest "Leonardo?" he looked beside him at his eldest son watching as he tried to hold himself up strong for his younger siblings just like Raphael had done for Michelangelo earlier as he followed his father down the halls and into the elevator to the third floor waiting room mentioned by the receptionist.

After 2 long agenizing hours of silence in the hospitals waiting room the grieving family was final called upon "Hamato, Donatello?" a male doctor in his late 50's walked in to the room clip board in hand announced.

"Yes" Yoshi greeted standing up from his seat holding up one finger to show he was coming, turning back towards his son's he said "I'll be right back, my son's stay here while I speak with the doctor" they didn't look to happy with the arrangement but all nodded as he walked away.

"Mr. Hamato, I'm Dr. Tomkins. I would first like to offer my condolences over your late wife." With a nod from Yoshi he continued on "your son has been brought out of surgery and moved into the ICU, but I must warn you that the damage done to his body was quite extensive. We're keeping him on an IV of pain killers and a (AB+) blood bag for the blood heavy loss he sustained. His injuries includes a stage 2 concussion, 4 stitches located on his right forehead most likely where he collided with the side window. His right wrist was sprained, as well as a ripped tenanted in his left knee, while his third and fourth ribs have been shattered by a metal rod that snapped off from the trucks grill puncturing his left lung. We've inflated the lung again and patched up the tarred tissue. We're keeping him on an oxygen tank for the next week until we feel his lung is able to breathe on its own."

Hamato Yoshi couldn't believe his ears as he listened to the doctors long list of his son's many aliments, _'his son…had gone through all that and what was he going to tell his sons about what their brother had gone through'_ he thought to himself looking over to them before turning back around to address the Doctor again. "Doctor Tomkins, if you would be so kind as to give me a minute with my son's before we visit Donatello. I –I would like to warn them head of time." The Doctor gave a sad smile as he stepped back "of course, take your time. I'll have Julie take you in when you're really" he said pointing over towards a thin blonde haired women waiting at the front desk behind him. "Thank you, Dr. Tomkins I am forever in your debt for the life of my son" Hamato bowed respectfully at the waist and rose up turning back towards his children, so he could prepare them for what they were about to see.

"My Son's come to me" Yoshi said kneeling down to look them in the eyes. "Is Donnie going to be alright sensei?" Leo was the first to speak out of his brothers as he felt he had to been strong for them. Hamato Yoshi let out a sigh as he rested his hand on Leonardo's shoulder as his two youngest sons stepped forward on either side of their older brother, "your brother is going to be alright in time my son. But he is going to be in a lot of pain and will need to rest to recover his strength. So I must ask you to be very careful with him and not to touch any of the equipment he will be hooked up to as it is helping him to heal. And do not push him to tell you anything about the accident he maybe in shock from the whole ordeal, do you understand?"

"Hai, sensei" they all chimed in together.

Yoshi nodded as he stud up from his sons and turned around leading his broken family over to the nurse at the round wooden desk ahead of them "Miss. Julie, if you will do us the honor of taking my family to see my son now, Donatello Hamato" he bowed once again as she gave them a small smile before directing them down the hall where he followed after her keeping his three sons close.

His sons were all un-naturally quiet and every foot step they took echoed in the long corridor. At the end of the hall she stopped at a door marked 307 and gesturing to the door in front of them, "He's right through here Mr. Hamato and I must ask you to not exert him in any way, his lung is still in a critical state and needs time to heal. And if you need anything else I'll be at the front desk for you" he nodded respectfully to her before turning back to face his sons room. Entering that room was the hardest thing the Hamato family ever had to do, to see their son and brother in that white clad hospital bed covered in once stock white bandages that were tinted with pink with his blood and as pale as the sheets he slept on, hooked up to numerous amounts of machinery all with the soul intent of keeping him alive, it was heart breaking to say the least. An eerie silence fell over the room, even with the steady beeping of a heart monitor that stud to the side of his bed and the slight whistling sound of the oxygen tanks low hissing as it traveled through a tube that ran over Donatello's ears and into his nostrils allow his damaged lungs to breathe a little easier.

The three boys walked in after their father and began to pull chairs up to their brothers bedside being mindful of the wires attached to their brothers arms and body, while Hamato Yoshi sat on the edge of his son's bed. Raph reached down and took Donnie's hand first wishing him well "Get better soon brainiac, or how else is going to keep my temper in check" he said before moving over and allow Leo to do the same, "Don't worry Donnie we'll all be here for you when you wake up" once Leo was done he moved to Mikey who shook his head, not want to take the chance of hurting his unconscious older brother more then he already was, in heeding his father's warnings about being careful around Donatello's wounds. "It's alright Michelangelo, you may touch your brother if you wish just be careful of his injures" Mikey's eyes only watered at his father's words and walked forward slowly, climbing up onto the chair and resting his head down on Donnie's arm as he spoke "Please, get better Nii-san (big brother) we don't want to lose you too."

The family sat there silently watching their brother sleep, as worry began to rise when another hour had past and Donatello had not awakened yet. Yoshi sighed in to himself as it was starting to get late and he needed to get his other son's home and give them some dinner seeing as it was approaching 9 o'clock and none of them had had anything to eat except the lunch he had packed for them this morning. As he was just about to tell his sons it was time to leave a soft groan sounded from under him as Donatello stirred.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone sorry to make you wait so long but here it is Chapter 3 of TMNT MODERN. thank you all so much for your supportive reviews I love reading them and it really motivates me to continue this story. Anyway some of my readers pointed out that i didn't mention how old the brothers would be in this story and it's taken me a while to decide this but I have finally choose to do them as different ages instead of quadruplets., so they can all have their own birthdays. I still choose to have Leo and Raph as twins though; it just made senses since they fight so much.

Leo and Raph: Twins B-day

September 30/98 11:47 pm  
October 1st/98 12:00 am

Donnie's B-day: February 29/00

Mikey's B-day: April 8th/01

Oh and in this flashback there Leo and Raph are 10, Donnie as just turned 8 two weeks before the crash and Mikey is still 6. Well enough of my rambling back to the story. ENJOY!

Hospital: Flashback Part 2

Donatello's POV:

Small voices surround me as my head swam with the effort of waking up. I tried opening my eyes, but the light was just too bright and shut them tightly willing myself to not throw up as the world spun even through my closed lids. It seemed as if every part of my body hurt and I couldn't remember how I got to be in this much pain. Did I get in the way of one of my brothers fights again? No… that can't be it? maybe..." My thoughts where cut off as I felt someone shift on my bed placing a hand lightly onto my shoulder,followed by my name.

"Donatello? My son, can you hear me? Please open your eyes." The familiar voice pleaded with such sadden that I struggled to open my eyes again, but the pain was just too much as I hiss and squeezed my eyes closed again. "Please Donnie, open your eyes" another familiar voice spoke to me…Mikey?

"Michelangelo dim the lights" the sound of a chairs scrapping along tile floor followed by it crashing to the ground made me flinch more then once, as the noise made my head split in two and the flinch hurt my ribs. 'Ooww' my breath was coming out in short shallow puffs, and with each breath my ribs ached more, making it harder and harder for me to breathe as my panic began to set in. 'Why do they hurt so much? What happened to me?' where all thoughts that ran through my head.

"Way ta' go nimrod you hurt Donn… " Raph's voice rang out before being silenced but our father "RAPHAEL!" he shouted at my older brother before lowering his voice back down to a soothing tone as he tried to calm me "Donatello, breathe my son. Nice and slow… that's it calm you're breathing the pain will pass we're right here for you." Taking small swallow breathes I was able to slow my panicked breathing down enough to relax, open my eyes land look into my father's amber ones that reflected my own, only with a hint more red in his. "That's it my son" he encouraged me further taking his hand from my shoulder to rest on my check wiping away the tears that had unknowingly started to leak from my eyes. I didn't know what to do. It hurt so much, "O-Otosan…? W-where are we… w-what happened?" I asked hating the sound of my voice as it came out scratching and weak.

"Shh child, all in good time. You are safe now and that is all you need to know; just rest and I'll explain everything to you when you wake up."

"But…"the thumb of his hand started to make small circles on my cheek something that always seemed to calm me down "I know you want answers my son, but your body needs time to heal. So please, close your eyes and I shall explain everything in the morning." I knew I wasn't going to get any more from him when he got like this, and he was right I was too tired to argue about it so I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

…

The next time I opened my eyes dad was nowhere to be found but I know I wasn't alone for the comforting sounds of my three brothers snoring next to me helped ease my pain. I looked down to my left seeing Mikey asleep by my side holding my hand loosely as to not interfere with the pulse reader on my finger…wait am –am I in the hospital?

I decided to look around further I noticed the sound of a heart monitor going off in the background it's pitch slowly rising steadily at my confusion and the slight wheeze in my lungs explained the oxygen tube that had been threaded over my ears and into my nostrils. Further beyond that my leg was propped up under the thin hospital sheet with weird lumps surrounding it making me assume that there was a brace set around my knee. Turning my head to my other side my two older twin brothers Leo and Raph were sleeping side by side on the couch under a large window. Slowly I began to move so I could sit up straighter only to have pain shot up both my right hand and my rib cage causing me to gasp loudly cradling my hand to my chest as the other rapped around my midsection. I could hear the sounds of my brothers waking up and running to my bedside to see what happened, there panicked voice set off my heart rate monitor as I pick up on their panic. "S-stop…" I choked, barely able to get the word out above a whisper. I couldn't get enough air into my acing lungs to speak any louder; their shouts had died down as they saw I was struggling to speak.

"Mikey get sensei, in here now!" Leo shouted as Mikey took off like a rocket out the door calling for help like a mad man, I'd have almost laughed if it didn't hurt so much. "Don, take it easy dad will be here any second"

"Okasan…Mom? Where's mom! Why haven't I-I seen her? And why…why isn't she here in the hospital? Please…" tears leaked down my face for the second time as my mind began to run wild with theories as to why my two older brothers wouldn't even look at me, they avoided the questions completely as they told me what happened to me and that we were in an accident on the way to Leo's Karate match when a truck ran a red light and hit us head on. That was why I was here with all my injuries. But it still didn't answer my question; I opened my mouth to speak up but stopped as dad walked into the room followed by a middle age man in a lab coat interrupting my question yet again.

"Oh good your up, I'm Dr. Tomkins." the doctor said making his way over to me "How are you feeling? Any pain nausea?" he asked as he looked at my heart monitor and checking some numbers. "It's kind of hard to breathe… sometimes and my chest and lungs feel like there on fire" he nodded "that was to be expected you've undergone a major surgery on your chest both to repair a collapsed lung, and to brace your broken third and four ribs, then stitching you back up again" he had said all this as he gestured to my father to help sit me on the bed so he could check me over easier. Mikey helped by propping up my pillows and Leo pulled up my blanket as it had slide down my legs. After that he ask for me to open up my hospital gown shirt and put a stethoscope to my chest, I shivered as the cold metal hit my skin and closed my eyes as the pain it caused faded. "Donatello, I need you to take a deep breath, can you do that for me?" I nodded meekly and took a breath, flinching as it caused more pain to resurface in my chest.

"HEY! What the hell was that for your hurting him!?" Raph yelled at the doctor while Leo held him back and Yoshi shushed his son for his rudeness "RAPHEAL, do not speak with such disrespect."

"its fine, Mr. Hamato" Dr. Tomkins said. I felt his hand rest on my shoulder lightly the movement causing me to look up at him peeking through my watery eyes. "I know it hurts, but I need you to try again" In seeing me hesitate he added "we'll take it slow this time, okay. I'm going to have you take small breathes and after every second one try to breathe a little deeper." I bite my bottom lip and nodded knowing the faster this was over with the sooner I could see mom, "Okay." Very slowly I took a small breath in through my nose the oxygen stung but I continued on using a breathing Technic that dad had showed us for meditating, and counted my breathes as I went 2 small breathes then one deeper one and repeat. By the seventh time he had finally told me to stop whether it was from him hearing what he wanted to hear or just stopping as my wheezing seemed to grow louder near the end as a had to start breathing through my mouth to get more air into my lungs; I'll never know. "All right that's enough" he said pulling the stethoscope out of his ears and moving to my wrist and knee to give me a break.

My eyes caught a glimpse of my chest before he put my shirt back down, and I froze. My body was shaking slightly as my eyes castes down to see the new scar that donned my chest a constant reminder of what I had survived through. I traced the large ugly red line with my right hand as it started above my left tricuspid and made a long U shape down my torso around my side, under my arm and up my back midway I guessed as my body wouldn't allow the movement I needed to go any further without twisting my body and putting more pressure on my damaged ribs. There was another scar on my abdomen about an inch and a half long, most likely from the metal rod that my family had said snapped off the trucks grill and gone straight through my side; moving my left hand slowly to my back feeling the same sized scar on my lower back matching the one on my front.

I felt sick just looking at it, so I let the shirt fall close and turning my attention back to my family where I noticed that they were all looking at the scars as well, feeling a bit self-conscious I resting my good hand over my stomach and dropped my head, suddenly finding the hospital sheets very interesting. I didn't even speak as Dr. Tomkins finished his examination on my knee and had left the room telling my father that with the proper rest and rehab exercises I would make a full recovery within a few weeks. I could see my father bow to him out of the corner of my eye thanking him for everything he has done for me. I turned to him as he had been sitting on the bed next to me stroking his hair through the whole examination and asked the question that was on my mind trying to push the looks away from me "Otosan? Where's mom?" With a sigh he stopped stroking my hair and dropped it down to rest on my shoulder. "My son, your-your mother didn't make it. She… is with the spirits now".

There was no explaining the amount of pain I felt in hearing that sentence 'I… had survived where my mother had not. That accident had kill her and left me alive. But what life would I have now? What life would my family have now that she was not here with us. My father pulled me into his arms as I cried digging my fists into his shirt as I tried to find something to ground myself; for the loss of my mother and the guilt that I had taking her away from my father and brothers. I could hear my brothers crying along with me squeezing into the hug while trying not to hit any of my injuries. But I never noticed as my cries grow more and more hysterical to the point where I couldn't breathe at all causing more damage to my broken ribs where they had injected me with a sedative to calm me down and allowing the darkness to fade around me as my eyes began to close.

…

Normal POV

At the end of the week Donatello was released from the hospital with a douse of painkillers and crutches he could use for his torn knee tenant once his wrist healed up in another day or two, though his ribs wouldn't heal for another 3 weeks. The family grieved for their departed wife/mother and made plans for the funeral, choosing to have a wake in honor of the live she once lived and keeping the doors of her prier closed to help ward off evil spirits in the afterlife.

After the wake they had then celebrated the return of their son/brother after a long week in the hospital's ICU. but it seemed as no force in this world could get there old Donatello back as he had shrank into himself after the funeral, isolating himself from his family for weeks after his injuries had healed, the family grew more and more concerned as they started to forget the very sound of his voice and the pure joy in his laugh. His left lung would always be weaker than his right and he would have to deal with that and the guilt he felt for the loss of their mother. But with help from his family we shill see if time can heal all wounds.


	4. Chapter 4

**Present Time:** Donnie's POV

6 years later –Sunday

In a small house west of the big apple four brothers enjoyed the Sunday evening before school started on Monday. Each brother had grown significantly over the last 6 years in their own way. Leonard had grown a half inch tall then Raphael, much to the hot tempered younger twin's displeasure. His skills in his karate competitions have improved greatly, going from his blue belt in karate to his brown belt. Raph on the other hand had moved up a weight class in boxing and he also chose to play football.

Michelangelo… on the other hand hadn't changed one bit, he's still a little ball of energy running around the house with this giant smile on his face pranking us to no end, and getting beat on by Raph for the pranks aimed at him. And then there's me; Donatello I can't say I've changed much over the years unless you include my new scars from the accident along with a weakened left lung that can cause me to collapse in an asthmatic attack then sure there's that. Oh, I'm a little taller than I was before but still small for the kids in my grade, though that's to be expected considering I skipped a grade. The school wouldn't allow me to skip the second grade saying that a 9th grade freshman wouldn't be socially ready to adapt with the 11th grade juniors'. I know there right but the works just not challenging enough for me, and besides I get enough trouble with my own brothers teasing me about what huge nerd I am so it's not like strangers would be any different. But I digress, there's not much I can do about it now.

As far as I can tell my brothers and I have grown apart since that accident those 6 years ago. I mean we're all still incredibly protective of one another but we all have our own lives now that spread out in to many directions. There are still times where we would hang out together, but nothing like before. We each do our own thing both at school and at home. The closes we come to hanging out with one another is when one of us is grounded or movie night every Friday night, that Leo and Raph have missed out on an occasion for high school parties games/meets.

For example right before dinner you could always find Leo in the backyard practising his martial arts, he says he finds the Japanese garden that our Father was religious about keeping in perfect order calming and that it allows him to practise without much interruptions from the rest of us. He had tried a few times to get me and our brothers to join but Raph's temper got him kicked out (boxing is more his style), Mikey has a natural gift for the movements but couldn't sit still long enough for the meditation or practice portions of the arts saying it's too boring compared to his soccer. I tried to stay with it for Leo's sake but I just couldn't wrap my head around a bunch of kids standing in a circle shouting at each other practicing punches and kicks, nor calming my mind enough to meditate. It seemed the second my mind reached peace it would flip back on again with a new idea that I just had to try, aguishly waiting to start it before I lost it. But Leo likes it so that's good enough for me (to each their own I suppose).

My second eldest brother Raph was in the basement working out, the soft thuds of his fist hitting the leather hid the only indication that he was using the homemade punching bag Mikey and I had made for him two Christmas's ago; although I think Mikey only went with the idea so Raph would stop beating on him for a workout. And Mikey well… he was currently sneaking towards said basement stair to the left of my spot on the living room couch with one arm behind his back.

Looking over at me he brings up his free hand to place a finger to his lips in a 'shushing' motion bring his right hand up showing a large red water balloon which 'literally' had Raph's name on it. I shook my head at my little brother and turned back to my book, hearing the small creek of the basement door open. I looked back up out of curiosity only to see that Mikey was gone. It wasn't too long after that, realization hit me. I could no longer hear the rhythmic thumping of Raph's fists hitting the bag anymore, nothing but silence until… there it was, "Hey Raphie!, it's time for your cool down!" Mikey's voice sang before the telltale sound of a whoosh and a splash filled my ears. 'Oh no' I thought as any hope of reading I had went down the drain.

"MIKEY! YOU'RE DEAD!" Raph screamed as thundering footsteps come up the stairs and moved down the hallway "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE MAGOT!" through the Kitchen, "Oh come on Raphie don't be like that" Mikey chuckled as he ran into the living room with Raph seconds behind him only to trip on his shoe laces and face plant onto the carpet in front of me.

"Wait, waitwaitwait!" he screamed to late as Raph jumped on top of him wrestling around on the floor for a good 2 minutes until Raph finally pinned Mikey on the floor, sitting on his legs and pulling his left arm up behind his back " Say it, Mikey or so help me…!" Raph grinned as he looked down at his defeated brother. "Ow,ow… okay UNCLE! I give…ooooww!" Mikey screamed hitting his one free hand on the ground repeatedly as Raph licking one of his fingers and placing it inches beside Mikey's ear for a wet willy. "And-" Raph drowned out with a wide grin on his face. Mikey whimpered as the finger moved closer to his ear, not wanting to say it but had no chose as it almost touched. "Alright, alright!" he pleaded causing Raph to loosen his hold a bit. "Well" he smiled "I'm waiting"

"RAPH IS ALL POWERFUL!" Mikey practically yelled trying to get it over with as fast as possible. `I am a lowly worm beneath his feet and can never amount to his awesomeness!" Mikey sighed **(1).** "There I said it now GET OFF ME!" Raph laughed quietly as he let go of his youngest brother and stared up at me as I sat couch apparently unnoticed by him until now as they had stormed into the room I occupied as if nothing happened.

"Oh hey Don, whatcha reading there" I raised my eye brow at the general calmness in his voice after the freak-out he had minutes ago. Raising my book up to him he read the title "Computational Science and Engineering? Gees Donnie it's the last day of summer shouldn't you be doing something fun?" Raph grimaced at the title like it was going to bite him. "This is fun… to me. I'm looking up the Computational science and engineering or CSE for its relatively in new disciplines that deal with the development and application of computational models and simulations, to help solve complex physical problems arising in engineering analysis and design **(2).** If I can apply this new high-performance computer programing to my robotic skeleton mainframe then maybe…"

"Whoa, there Donnie! Slow down. English brainiac" he said crossing his arms as he stud up only to hear a sickening crunch under his feet.

"My game guy!" Mikey screamed as he pushes Raph over to retrieve is lost game consul that looked to have been destroyed. "My baby, speak to me!" Mikey fake cried. "What has he done to you?" Mikey asked as he glared over at Raph. A small laugh escaped me that I quickly covered with my hand, as Mikey pulled the consul to his face and rubbed it against his check. 'He's such a drama queen sometimes'. I chuckled in my head.

"What the hell! You're the one that left it on the floor in the first place it's no wonder it got destroyed" Raph said ever the gentlemen as he stared down at Mikey.

"Well…ya but you're the one that stepped on it with your ginormous feet" Mikey shot back "you owe me a new one."

"No way! It's your own fault this happened, I'm not buying you noting." Raph shouted back at him.

With a loud sigh I stud up and took the game consul from my younger brothers hands "enough already, I'll fix the stupid game consul" I said trying to keep the peace between my brothers.

"Damn right you'll fix it," Raph yelled looking at me before pointing an accusing finger at Mikey. "Because there's no way I'm buying him anything."

"That's enough, Raphael!" a voice came from the kitchen as our father walked into the living room drying his hands off with a tea towel. "Go upstairs and get cleaned up, dinner with be ready shortly."

"But Mikey's the one…" Raph started hearing Mikey snicker behind him as our father cut him off. "I said upstairs, now. I will deal with Michelangelo myself" he finished with a glare towards him, receiving a gulp from Mikey as his giggling stopped. "Hai, Otosan" Mikey said defeated as he bowed his head and walked into the kitchen shoulders slumped over. "Donatello? If you would be so kind as to inform Leonardo that dinner will be ready soon" father smiled at me before pointing outside.

"Hai, Otosan I can do that for you" I say putting my book down with Mikey's broken game consul on the table beside the couch before making my way towards the back door of our house to find Leo in the garden.

After dinner father told us to retire to our rooms, seeing how it's the first day back to school. He wished us all a good night and left for his own room to wind down for the day. I made should to stop off in the living room on my way up stair so I could pick up my book as well as Mikey's destroyed PSP. It didn't look so bad now that I had a closer look at it, I could probably fix it within the hour and still be well rested enough for my first day of high school tomorrow.

…

**Monday Morning:**

Light rays of sunlight peeked through the open curtain above my head. Scrunching up my face I try to turn my head away from the light to get just a couple more minutes of sleep. Id stayed up pretty late the other night trying to fixing Mikey's game consul thanks to his and Raph's skirmish the other night I am now forced to fix it.

I groaned as I felt someone shake my shoulder lightly "Don? Come on Donnie, you need to get up".

"No…" I mumbled turning my head away from my eldest brothers voice only to come face-to-face with my arch enemy. The evil light burned through my eyelids, I let loose a low growl as I buried my face in my arms. I heard Leo laugh at me before he grabbed onto both of my shoulders and pulled me up off my desk and resting me against the back of the chair I sat on. "Come on, up and Adam little bro you can argue with the rising sun after you've had breakfast".

I slowly blinked the sleep away from my eyes as I stretched my sore muscles, from the uncomfortable sleeping arrangement I had resided in last night, cringing after I heard a pop.

"Ow I heard that one" Leo said, before his face fell after he got a good look at me "sigh, dammit Donnie, why do this to yourself? How much sleep did you actually get last night?" Concern was laced in every word as he looked into my eyes.

"Enough…" I replied not looking at him, as stud up and I made my way around the room so I could get ready for the day. I knew my answer wasn't what he wanted to hear so I settled for an explanation instead; hoping it wouldn't start off the day in an argument with one of my more reasonable brothers.

"It's nothing Leo. It just took the longer than I thought to fix Mikey's PSP."

"You shouldn't have even had to be the one fixing it in the first place." Leo growled in frustration as he had to break up far too many fights between those two. "If Mikey broke it then he should fix it? Not you!"

"Technically… Raph stepped on it after he tackled Mikey to the ground for throwing a water balloon in his face after his workout." I started raising one of my fingers in the air with a matter a fact tone. **"**Apparently claiming it was to help cool him down," I laughed at the memory but stopped seeing Leo's confused face and lowering my hand as I spoke again. "It happened yesterday while you were meditating in the garden."

Leo sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose a habit he picked up from our father. "Just finish getting dressed and come downstairs, will you. Dad's making pancakes."

"Sweet!" I said as my mouth begins to water, from just the thought of them. I follow him out my bedroom door and down the hall pulling my deep purple sweat shirt over my head and tugging it down. Looking up in time to see Leo sidestepped quickly out of the way as Mikey came barreling down the hall excited as always. Unfortunately I didn't have the same reflexes as my brother, and in trying to avoid Mikey I only ended up tripping over my own feet and crashing into a wall only to hear a low 'oomph' behind me. Confused I looked over my shoulder to see Raphael standing there holding me up.

Apparently the wall I hit, was his chest. "Oh um… sorry about that Raph" I stammered writing myself again. He just shrugged at me and walked down the hallway grumbling too himself. I laughed to myself as he went 'sometimes Raph can be just as bad as me when it comes to mornings.

"Come on" Leo said already halfway down the stairs "if we don't hurry Mikey and Raph will eat it all."

"Oh, yeah coming" I said running down the stairs and into the kitchen to the sweet smell of my favorite breakfast ever. Sitting in my seat I looked up at my family, dad was at the stove cooking up the last of the batter as he talked to Raph about his football practice tonight in preparation for the big home coming game this Friday, while said brother rummaged through the fridge for some orange juice.

Leo was making a plate for himself, telling Mikey to slow down before he choked, as our little brother inhaled his food as if he were a bottomless pit? I have to remember to study his eating habits one of these days… then again that just may make me sick, I thought as I saw Mikey waif down a fork full of four pancakes.

Shaking my head in disgust I pulled a couple of cakes my way before reaching for the syrup only to have it stolen from me the next second. "Hey!" I shouted at my little brother as he poured almost the whole thing onto his pancakes "sorry bro gotta move faster than that" Mikey smiled, then blinked confused as the bottle disappeared from his hands.

"Whoa" said our father after pulling the jar away from him and passing it back to me "that's enough sugar for you Michelangelo. Or need I remind you of what happened last week?" All three of us cringed as we remembered that week Mikey had eaten so much cotton candy from the end of summer carnival that he was literally bouncing off the walls and ceiling for 24 hours?

"It wasn't that bad!" Mikey whined as he saw the looks on our faces. "Trust me Mikey it was that bad" I said recovery faster than the others and shoving more pancakes into my mouth.

Conversation picked up again as we all discussed our plans for today. It was Monday so our father had to go to his anthropology class that he lectured for every Monday and Thursday after he finished up at the construction site. Leo had a karate practice to go to after school. Raph was going to the gym for football practice and Mikey had a soccer game at 8:30pm that we were all going to watch.

As for me? I was going to see if I could join the schools science club. You think that being surrounded by three of my other more athletic brothers we would all be the same, but the truth is far from it. As it is we only have a few things in common like black/brown hair and half Asian figures but our eye colors are way off. Leo has black hair and dark blue eyes, while Raph has dark brown hair with emerald green eyes. Mikey has more of our late mothers figures with dark blonde hair and light blue eyes while I have light brown hair and Amber/brown eyes like our father. And don't even get me started on our personalities Leo is Stern and responsible, Raph's rash and stubborn, I'm courteous and clumsy/awkward being a genius is all I have going for me and Mikey is energetic and fun-loving.

But were family and that's all that matters. I looked up from my plate and smiled at my family watching them as dad grabbed Raph's ear as he mocked Mikey yet again only for him to rage harder on him as Mikey stuck out his tongue at him. "Why you miserable little… ow!" "Enough Raphael."

"Ha ha, that's right bro you just got spanked,"

"Michelangelo!"

"sorry…" I laughed softly at the situation seeing Leo out of the corner of my eye face palme shaking his head.

I was just getting my laugher under control when *Cough, cough* suddenly the whole room went silent. All of my family members looked at me with concern.

"Don…?" Leo said reaching over to place a hand on my shoulder close to my neck, probably trying to see if I had a fever without making a fuss.

"Cough… It's nothing don't worry" I rushed in. 'Damn, I hate it when this happens' every time I show the smallest amount of weakness or sickness they drop everything and baby me, all thanks to this stupid pneumothorax. See after the car accident with our mom… and me one of my ribs had punctured my lungs and not only collapsed it, but ruptured a small air sack of fluid in my lung, causing it to bleed out. The EMTs managed to keep me alive long enough to get me into surgery but the damage was already done and the trauma to my lung couldn't be helped.

We can't afford a lung transplant nor will it work with my lung disease my body would just reject it. But in the meantime my body gets sick really easily and my lungs can't take certain pressures such as sports and extreme exertions which has me stuck on the sidelines and has my family freaking out over something as simple as a cough or a sneeze.

"Are you sure, my son?" The look of my father's face was heartbreaking. I know he felt guilty that he couldn't help me much, "don't push yourself today."

"Hai father. And don't worry like I said it's nothing I just ate too fast that's all." I did my best to smile at them but nothing I said will make them stop worrying. "Whatever, dude" Raph said waving his hand in dismissive way even though I know it's just a tough guy act he puts on. Rolling my eyes at him I see Mikey out of the corner of my eye staring at me with those big blue puppy dog eyes of his.

"Really, Donnie?" He whines looking at me "you're not just saying that are you?"

'Oh Mikey' I thought standing up and walking around the table towards him I could almost see him flinch as I did this, like he felt guilty of making me get up and move. But I didn't care he needs to see that I'm fine, and I need to comfort my little brother's fears. I'm the only one that can in this case.

"You know I'd tell you if there was something wrong Mikey. I'm fine really" I said pulling him up into a quick hug. "Now come on we're going to be late I laughed seeing Leo's and dads panicked faces.

"Come on boys, grab your stuff and get ready I'll drive you to school today."

"Father, no you wouldn't make it to work on time if you did, we'll be fine." Leo said pushing our father to the door as he spoke of a care of everything. "Alright then, I will see you all at Michelangelo's game tonight."

"Oh, yeah it's going be sweet those Panthers are going down" Mikey howled as he ran upstairs chanting "Vikings, Vikings, Vikings! Fight, fight, fight!"

Our father sighed before reaching up to collect his coat off the front hook "all right then be safe, my sons" he said before picking up his work bag and opening the door. "Have a good day at work" I said smiling. He nodded and headed out the door and I turned up the stairs to grab my things, doing a mental checklist as Raph came up behind me. "Come on Donnie, move it" raffling my hair to snap me out of my thoughts as I noticed my brothers where already ready and walking down the stairs pat my room.

"Oh right sorry" I stumbled running out of my room past Raph and down the stairs myself. On the last step I slipped and through my hands out to catch the railing only to feel a tug on my shirt pulling me back. "Geez, relax." Raph jokes pulling me back onto my feet continuing to walk past be to the front door. "Thanks, I'll try to remember that" I spit back dryly.

"Whatever just don't make a habit out of it." He grumbled back causing Leo started yelling after him probably trying to lecture him on manners again not that it did any good the first hundred times.

"Booyacaha!" Mikey yell tearing out the door skateboard in hand and music plugged in rocking to the sound of the beat. Shaking my head I followed my brothers out the door locking it behind me. Not knowing the day that was ahead for me.

….

Season 1 episode 3 Quote 'Raph and Mikey'

– Wikipidea computation science and engineering wiki/Computational_Science_and_Engineering


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys sorry I haven't updated in so long but it's been difficult to write the turtles in a high school environment when I've been out of it myself for so long. But here is the next installment of my creation and I hope you enjoy the long hours I slaved over it to make it as close to perfect as I can get. **

**You'll also notice that in later chapters I am going to be pulling a lot of sense for the TMNT universe from the 1987 version the 2003 version and the most resent 2012 version, the last two being my favourite seeing how they focus more on my favourite character Donatello. XD But I won't keep you any longer so enjoy and please comment they mean a lot to me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT sadly **

Donatello's first day of school at Newtown High as a freshmen/sophomore and he was terrified.

No matter how many times his father or brother told him it would be fine, he could never believe it. He didn't know anyone in this school besides his brothers because all his other classmates were back in his old middle school starting their 8th grade year.

It's not like he had many friends anyway to leave behind. He had pushed most of them away after his mother's death. Sure they tried to be nice but he didn't think the other kids understood the pain he was in or anyway to help him for that matter, and once they did it was too late. He had become the social outcast the nerdy kid that no one wanted to talk to. Sighing he hitched his knapsack a little higher on his shoulder as he and his two older brothers made their way up the steps his new school after dropping off Mikey. "Please" he whispered to himself "please let this be a good year."

"What was that Donnie" Leo asked hearing his brother mumble something. "Oh, uh nothing, Leo I was just wondering where my first class would be?" he smiled sheepishly trying to distracted him with a diversion seeing how he already knew where his first class was after taking those summer classes.

"Oh sure, here hand me your schedule" Leo said putting hi bag down and holding his hand out for the timetable. Pulling the schedule out of his bags side pocket and handed it over to his eldest brother where he carefully unfolded it and looks down at the timetable for only a split second before looking up shocked. "Jesus, Don what kind of schedule is this? Are you sure they even gave you there right one."

Donnie gave him a nod, and Leo continued on still confused he added "but you don't even have any elective courses, or the pre courses for any of these programs." By this time Raph had even grown curious and looked at my schedule over Leo's shoulder confused as well.

"I took them over the summer remember?" Donatello stated with a sigh looking at his brothers faces, but after a few seconds saw that they clearly didn't remember at all. "Or not…."

"Okay so… anyway you're in the science room, which is down this hallway on your left third door on your right." Leo pointed out the hall in fronted of us and Don nodded his thanks and took the schedule back from him.

"Uh thanks, Leo" Donnie said putting the paper back into his side pocket for safe keeping, he hadn't gone through it enough to memories it yet and he was sure there would be a class on his schedule that he wasn't too sure were to find.

"Don't sweat it Don" Leo smiled recovering from his confusion earlier then his twin had, picking up his bag off the ground from where he had placed it earlier you're going to like it here.

"Ya don't ta worry so much Donnie, high school is great! Well you know besides the homework." Raph said slapping his younger brother on the back as he walked past with such force he almost face planed.

"Ya great…" Donnie stumbled righting himself again and mumbled "for jocks maybe."

"What was that?" Raph said looking over his shoulder. "Nothing… I'm just going to go now…to class I mean" Raph only shrugged. "Alright" both Leo and Raph said at the same time, only to pause and glare at the other. But before Raph could open his mouth to complain about his twin copying him or some other stupid reason, Leo had ended it with an eye roll and a wave of his hand. "Not now Raph," looking back over at Donatello he said "you'll be fine Donnie have faith, I'm sure you'll love it here."

Donnie thanked his elder brother and set out down the science hallway towards his first class of his high school career. He bobbed and weaved his way through the crowded halls feeling a bit claustrophobic as he squeezed his way through student after student until he almost made it to his class which was block by a group of jocks.

He managed to almost get by them and down the hall, only to have one of the boys throw out his arm and knocking Donnie square in the chest; stopping him in his forward momentum, letting out a small grunt as he collided with the heavily muscular arm to his chest and then the unforgiving metal lockers to his back as his bag slipping from his shoulder and landing on the floor at his feet.

The hit wasn't even really that hard, but from the sudden connection it made to his chest and then the collision to the lockers had winded him a bit. "S-sorry …?" Donnie rasped out trying to control the slight pain, trailing off in confusion as to why he was even apologizing when it wasn't his fault to begin with.

"Hey, watch where you're going Fresh-meat!" The large jock that hit him spoke glaring down at him. Donnie couldn't help but stare at the boy above him, no way was this guy in high school he was built like a tank. His biceps where as big as his head and he stud close to 6 foot with slick backed brown hair and blue eyes he almost looked like Chuck Norris but without the beard.

"Fresh-meat?" Donnie mumbled quietly to himself confused before bending over to pick up his bag not caring for the tone this jerk was giving him. "Look I said I was sorry, besides you're the one who hit me. If anything you should be the one apologizing" Donnie said turning from the group of gapping students not believing that he had just talked back to an upper class men like that.

"What did you say to me fresh-meat?!" his muscles twitched in anger as he grabbed a handful of Donatello's shirt and turned him round to face him.

Donnie looked at the hand fisting his shirt then up to the jock holding him an little shocked but he was used to Raph's temper so he forged on "I said you're the one that hit me, anyone with a brain can see that you should be the one apologising to me instead of the other way around. Now if you'll let go of me I have a class to get to." Donnie said this, as if it was the simplest explanation in the world all the time screaming in his head to shut up. This guy was four times his size and could squish him into toothpaste with his pinky but clearly that didn't matter today. "And for your information it's freshmen. Not fresh-meat". What was he doing! Did he want to get a black eye; apparently years of living with his brothers have built up a heavy sarcastic response rate that he has no control over. Sigh and he calls himself a genius, yeah right pathetic.

"Can you believe the balls on this new guy" one of his friends spoke up from the back of the group.

"Look you're new around here so that makes you the fresh –meat and just this once I'm going to ignore the disrespect to your upper class men kid, or do you even know who your talking to pipsqueak ?" he replied clutching onto his shoulder a little harder than need be, making Donnie flinch from the sheer death grip he had on him.

"No. Do you?" Donnie's sarcastic reply was almost automatic as he tried to push the hand off him only to be shoved into the lockers for his stupid tong that just could take the hint. A grown escaped his lips as his head hit the metal locker, 'good' he joked to himself 'maybe that would knock some sense into him.'

"Why would anyone want to know a puny little brat like you…" the jock stopped leaned back for a second and really looked at him, "How old are you anyway? You look like a 10 year old?"

"I am not!" Offended Donnie pushed forward only to be slammed back into the lockers again, "I'm 13 and the name is Donatello Hamato." Nope no sense what's so ever?

"Donatello that's a weird name…" he laughed followed by his clones behind him before "Wait did you say Hamato?" he said looking at him again confusion written all over his face (what was it with people giving him that look today), to say that it was uncomfortable was an understatement. It was like he was seeing him for the first time and not insulting him for the last 5 minutes.

"Yes, what of it?" Donnie raising an eye brow in confusion, leaned back into the lockers to get as far away from this creep as possible not realising that his name would have this effect on someone.

"Because, it means he should get his hands off my little brother! Doesn't it Bradford?" A voice spoke from over Bradford's shoulder, from Donatello's position he couldn't see who it was but recognised that deep angry voice anywhere.

Immediately Bradford let Donnie go turning around slowly to face his teammate with a shocked expression on his face. "Raph, you can't be serious? This kids one of your little brothers?! But you said they were all middle school age."

"They are and I can't wait to watch him school you in class today." Raph smirked walking past the crowd of people pushing Bradford further away from his brother as he picked up his forgotten school bag that had falling onto the floor in front of Donnie's feet. "You okay Don?"

"Ya" Don said talking his bag back from his hot tempered brother with a thanks.

"B- but there's no way a 13 year old can be in the 10th grade?!" Bradford practically screamed.

"Well I'm glad you remember what grade you're still in after that beating you took in football camp." Raph smirks as the crowd around them laughed. Bradford's only response was a cold hard glare, as Raphael turned his back and walked his brother to his class, not giving a damn about his thick-headed teammate he left behind.

"Damn, Donnie ya haven't even been here for more than 10 minutes and your already starting a fight? One would think I'm a bad influence on you. I'd almost be proud if I didn't think you would have gotten your ass handed to you by Chris Bradford."

"Gee thanks Raph, your faith in me is rejuvenating. If I didn't know any better I'd think you meant it." Donnie answered by rolling his eyes and turning his back to his brother only to be whipped around to face him again. "Hey I just saved you scrawny ass. What did you even say to piss him off so much anyway?"

"For your information I didn't start anything, all I did was walk past when he hit me."

"He hit you?! I'll kill him!" Raph growled turning back around to find Bradford and knock his block off.

"No! No, no, no, no" Donnie almost shouted grabbing a hold of Raph's wrist and pulling him back; quite a feat when Raph was twice his size. "He was just talking with his hands and throw one out as I was walking past him, it was an accident" Donnie pleaded to make his hot tempered brother listen to him.

He wasn't expecting Raphael to raise a brow at him with a stiff "and…" drawing out the word for Donnie to continue.

"And- I apologized" he said, suddenly finding his feet very interesting.

"Ah huh, and how did you fraise it?" Raphael's tone was flat staring down at his brother daring him to lie to him now.

"I…um" Don hummed thinking back on it sheepishly "I said I was sorry, but he wouldn't let it go. So- I may have told him he was stupid to think it was my fault when he should be apologizing to me."

"Donnie! You need to be more careful; one day that mouth of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble and I won't be there to bail you out like I did today."

"Like your one to talk" Donnie grumbled.

"Well I don't go picking fights with people twice my size and 3 years older than me…" Raph paused as Donnie had raising an eyebrow at him clearly saying otherwise. "Don't look at me like that…not unless I know I can win!" he finished but before Donnie could argue further a look of confusion past over his own face "wait 3 years? But he's in the same grade as you and Leo?"

"Very good brainiac, he got held back last year. And F.Y.I people don't like to be reminded of that when an 8th grader shows up as a sophomore."

"All I did was correct him in how old I was."

"And they call me thick headed" Raph sighed bring a hand to his eyes and shaking his head slightly "just go to class genius, before anything else happens." Raph throw his arm out pointing to the class room door behind him before turning around and lugging his beat-up old schoolbag higher on his shoulder.

…

So as the day continued Donnie went to all his classes, and as luck would have it only got lost once. He was starting to get uncomfortable as he got death glares from almost all of his other classmates after answering some simple question and he could understand why it would matter to them so much. Maybe it was about what Raph said about kids not liking someone younger than them in the same class, but if that didn't make things hard enough it seemed that almost everyone had found out about his run in with Bradford this morning and where shutting him out, out of fear of the bulky teenager.

He tried to not let it bother him but as he collected his books at the end of each class and made a beeline for the next the stares dug into the back of his shoulders like a knife, not I feeling he could say he liked in the least.

Once lunched rolled around Donnie went to his locker and picking up his brown paper bag lunch that they're father had made for them this morning before heading off to work himself. He made his way down to the hall and through the cafeteria door; once he entered he paused in order to find a place to sit, only to find himself with a new problem; not knowing where.

He studied the table and found the usual chicks that are so typical for any high school environment clearly Newtown High was not above that. He continued searching until his eyes landing on his brothers, he saw Leo sitting off to the side of the cafe a few tables over with his girlfriend Karai and a couple of other friends that he recognised but didn't remember their names, he wasn't too sure he should join them seeing his brother in deep conversation with Karai they hardly got to spend time together as it is this all their groups and sports teams. Raph on the other hand was in another back section of the cafeteria hanging out with all his teammates from the football team; he thought about join him to, to thank him properly for this morning's event but stopped as among them was none other than Chris Bradford himself. Not seeing many options he walked over to Leo but on closer inspection there wasn't much room at the table, and see how close he and Karai were sitting always made Donnie uncomfortable feeling like he was a third wheel. So he went to turn around to find another empty table when he heard his brother call him back.

"Hey Donnie, come over here for a second. I'd like to introduce you to the guys." Seeing how that statement was a little off as he had meet most of Leo's friends by going to his karate meets, he didn't recognise any of the others. Come to think of it Donnie had never really seen his brothers bring anyone else over to the house except for Karai and Casey.

"Guys this is my younger brother Donatello. Don this is Jake" he pointed to the boy next to him with dark brown hair and brown eyes with a lean build to him, Donnie recognised him from one of Leo's competitions nodding a hello he moved on to the two others at that table. A boy with short cropped black hair and more muscular build then Leo had with piercing blue eyes, while the girl to his left was slender with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes as well, "This is Jayson and Zoey."

"Aren't you a little young for high school?" Zoey asked while Jayson pipped up "What are you 12?"

"13, actually" he dead panned as Leo laughed, and added "Don't let his age foul you my brother hear is a true genius. I'm pretty sure if the school board let him he would have graduated high school when he was 10. But they only let him skip the 2 grades." Donatello had turned slightly pink from the praise his brother was giving him.

"No way, so you're a sophomore then?" Jake questioned. "Ah, yes?" Don replied back to embarrass to think of anything else more intelligent to say, so much for his genius status.

"Come on Donnie have a sit" Leo stated as he shifted to the right making room for him in between Jake and himself. "No Leo, I couldn't…" Don stumbled a bit over his words; the last thing he wanted was to impose on one of his brother and his friends.

"Look Don think of it logical, you have nowhere else to sit. So I'm offering for you to sit here for now until you do, besides the schools having a freshmen welcoming event this Thursday I'm sure you'll be able to make friends then." Leo smiled tiring to comfort his younger brother knowing how shy he could be in new environments.

"But…" Don started but was cut off again. "Donnie it's fine, just sit down and eat your lunch" and with that said he gave a small nod and took his sit next to Leo while Leo and his friends continued there talk about the next upcoming match they had against Forest Hills high.

Conversation died down a little bit after that as Leo's friends went back to talking among themselves, Donnie was grateful that his brother would try to include him in their conversations but he could only do so much before it trailed off on subjects that he could not participate in. So in those causes Donnie would just sit back and eat his lunch in silence until the bell rang for his next class. Leo had even offered to walk him to his next class so he didn't have to worry about his little brother getting lost but Karai stopped him after saying it was on the other side of the school and wouldn't make it back in time for his own class.

And so the day progressed until the end of the day had finally arrived and the four brothers were waiting outside the front lawns for their father to pick them up. Donatello sat on top of the picnic table tinkering with some electronic devise giving of muffled curses as every now and then the devise would shock him. Leo was sitting on the bench behind Donnie reading a book for his English lit class, while Raph was sitting on the grass in front of them one arm resting behind his head while the other tapped against his stomach to the beat listened to his MP3 player, occasionally swatting away Mikey's hand as his little brother kept pocking his forehead laughing as Raph missed, from his position laying down on the bench in front of Donnie's feet.

Finally having enough he opened his eyes and grabbed Mikey's finger and squeezed it has hard as he could causing his little brother to cry out in pain before letting go, "Ow…!"

"Guy's quite I'm trying to read here" Leo spoke up glaring at his two brothers, but only able to see Mikey has he smirk at him "sorry Leo I'll scream quieter" turning his focus back to Raph Mikey raised his finger again and slowly brought it down again on Raph forehead only to have him grab his wrist and flip him off the bench over his shoulder, pinning Mikey in a headlock. Mikey screamed in alarm as Raph growled threateningly "Say it!"

"Raph stop it" Leo's voice spoke over Mikey's loud cries of pain rolling his eyes slightly. "Not until he says it." Raph looks back down at Mikey as he tries to pry his arms off of him with no such luck, "I'd do as he says Mikey" Donnie added shaking his head.

With a final grunt Mikey said it "Raph is all powerful…"stopping in mid sentences not wanting to go on, but Raph wasn't giving him a chose as he tightened his grip "and-" he dragged out.

"He's better than me in every possible way…oomph" Mikey grunted as Raph pinned him to the ground pulling an arm behind his back "and-" he continued. "And I am as lonely worm beneath his feet that doesn't deserve to live on the same planet as him because he is too awesome" Mikey's words were pleading as Raph licked his finger and held it an inch above his head "and-".

"Oh come on Raph, let him up already" Donnie jumped in, but Mikey still continued on "in all the universe there has never been…"

"ENOUGH! Raph get off of him" Leo shouted slamming his book closed on the table and standing up. Mikey sighed thankful that he didn't have to continue as Raph got off him and started on Leo.

"You gonna make me fearless?" Raph threatened point a finger at Leo's chest. "Ya I think I am" Leo glared back.

The two twins were so wound up in there arguing that neither of them noticed their father pulling up to the side walk in front of them. Mikey was the first to jump up grabbing his bag in one hand and Donine's arm in the other as he dragged his immediate older brother off the table with him and pulling him quikly towards the car.

"Whoa! Mikey, slowdown!" Donnie cried almost face planting from the unexpected forward movement, if it wasn't for the grip that Mikey had on his arm he would have ended up in the dirt. Mikey laughed and shouted happily behind him "come on dudes, last one there's a dirt rat!" bolting on ahead letting go of Donnie's hand causing a slight stumbled to regain his balance before running after him, as Leo and Raph broke from their argument chasing their little brothers shouting a "Shotgun!" as they went.

As all four brothers made it into the car and to their seats, Yoshi turned around smiling at his sons "How was your first day of school my sons anything interesting?"

"Nothing of importance Otosan just the usual opening school speech and start of term announcements" Leonardo said from his position in the front passenger seat, how he managed to get it instead of Raph was beyond Donnie knowledge as he had squished himself in between is two other brothers. "I see, and for you Donatello, did you find your classes more challenging?" Yoshi said putting the car in drive and making his way down the long starch of road home.

"Hai Otosan, it's much more stimulating then what I was doing before, but I still wish they would have bumped me up one more grade" Donatello answered his father giving him his famous gap toothed smile in his excitement earlier troubles forgoting .

"Geek" Raph grumbled smirking sideways at his brother, Donnie just simple rolled his eyes and listened to Mikey spout off about his day, and scoring the winning point for his team in gym class.

As the car pulled into the drive way Yoshi sent his sons off to either start their chores or their homework while he went to his room to relax for a well before have to prepare dinner.

Mikey headed off to the back yard to cut the grass, while Raph and Leo sat down on the couch pulling out there books. Donnie on the other hand had finished doing the laundry the night before and his homework was finished during his free fifth period, so he decided to head to the garage and work on one of his many projects to kill time before dinner.

A couple of hours later Donnie could hear his father calling them for dinner. He put his projected down and headed for the sink to wash his hands of any grease and dirt before making his way to the table and taking his seat next to Mikey. The family talked randomly about upcoming events laughing and enjoying each other's company while they ate their chicken fried rice. Once dinner was over they all separated their own ways simply relaxing before the start of another school or work day tomorrow.

…

It had been three days since school started and Donatello wasn't finding it any easier then when he first started. Sure the classes were finally a little more challenging for him but he was still struggling with making friends in his grade. They all seem to look down on him in anger every time he was called upon by the teacher to answer a question that the others didn't know or either weren't paying attention enough to hear the question. It left him feeling lonelier then when he was back with his other classmates in middle school, at least they didn't trip him in the halls or shoving him into lockers every chance they got or teased him, this openly. No the only peace he got was when he was with one of his brothers, seeing how no one dared to bully him when they were around or his free period where he would just sit in the library doing homework or wonder around the school for kicks.

So Donatello found himself looking forward to the ninth grader welcoming event this Thursday, maybe he would be able to join a club tomorrow of some kind and have someone to talk to, and sit with, so he wouldn't have to bother his brother. Don't get him wrong he loved sitting with Leo but it was just that they were his friends and Donnie didn't feel right making his brother play host as he tried to keep him in the conversation.

…

The day had finally arrived Thursday. The day of the freshmen welcoming event Donnie was excused from his sophomore classes so could attend the all-day event with the other ninth graders. Something his other classmates weren't too happy about either, 'Geez what did it take to please these guys' Donnie thought to himself as he made his way into the gymnasium. He could see booths set up all across the back walls of the gym and seniors handing out flyers to students trying to get them the join their clubs or teams. As well as seeing some group activities and games going on in the centre of the gym in order to help the ninth grades bond and opening up to the whole high school experience he guessed.

It was a sort of chaos that would normally bug him but he was too excited to be bothered by it.

Donnie went to the different booths signed up for the science club they were weary at first but once he explained to them that he was in deed a high school student the light hit their eyes as he signed his name. "Wait you're a Hamato?" one of the science club members asked his name tag reading Timothy a bigger teen with short brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Ya, is that a problem?" he asked worried, all to have the boy jump on him as if he was going to leave.

"NO it's nothing we just figured that with the Hamato twins being so athletic that the other two siblings would be as well. We heard one of them played soccer but we didn't know which."

"Ya that's my younger brother Mikey, he's a forward starter on his middle school team. Half the time we have to drag him off the field, if we want him to come home and he'll even practise in the pouring rain."

"Wow and what about you? Didn't I hear you used to play sports as well, why did you stop.

Donnie froze not liking were this conversation was going; it was true that he use to play baseball when he was younger but after his and his mother's accident it made that impossible. So he tried to play it off smoothly and dismiss himself politely "Asthmas. If you'll excess me I want to see the rest of the events" but was stopped as the second club member Justin and small boy with glasses sleek black hair and brown eyes grabbed his arm "please we didn't mean anything by it, it's just the Hamato twins are famous around here. Your eldest brother Leonardo made captain of the karate team in his second year and is even on the student council. And Raphael is on the football team, wrestling team and not to mention the boxing club.

"Yes, thank you for filly me in on those tips; I only live with the two of them." Donnie bit back sarcastically. 'What were they groupies?'

"Knock it off can't you see he doesn't want you fan girling over his family" came a voice over his shoulder. He turned around to see a girl clade in a purple plaid skirt and black tank top purple hair and black rimmed glasses. That shut them up as she walked forward signed her name and pulled him off. She pulled him off to the side so they weren't in the way of any of the other events.

"Thanks for that" Donnie blushed rubbing the back of his neck shyly as they made their way through the crowd "do I get to know the name of my rescuer" he joked causing the girl in front of him to laugh. "Irma Langinstein and you?" he had a feeling that she already knew what his name was thanks to those guys but he offered it anyway to be polite. "um… Donatello Hamato, but you can call me Donnie."

"Cool name, after the renaissance sculpture Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi" Donnie was shocked to say the least, most people just made fun of his name not be impressed by it. "So are you good at art as well as science Donatello, or just the former?"

"A-a little bit I guess nothing much I mostly just draw schismatic for different experiments I build. I've never actually tried to but it into an artistic form before." He was starting to feel a bit acquired not used to talking about himself for so long. "How about you I wouldn't have pegged you as a science geek…not that you're a geek at all it's just… sigh" he decided to stop while he was behind. When he looked back up at Irma the girl was smiley and waving over his shoulder not hearing the question at all. Donnie turned around as well wanting to see who this girl was when his breath caught in his throat. This girl had fiery red hair pulled back into a perfect pony tail, eyes as crystal blue as the sky its self and wear black tights under blue jean shorts and a yellow ¾ sleeve top. She was… she was perfect. He sighed having to shake himself out of his stupor as the girl come up to them and hug Irma "Irma, where have you been? I turned around and then you were gone."

"Sorry about that April I just went to sign up for the science club when I had to save Donatello here from a couple of fan-boys" she smiled looking up at Donnie laughing to herself as she saw his face go beat red.

"Oh, Donatello that's a nice name, so you joined the science club as well that's great it's great."

"Uh… thanks, A-April, but I'm not too sure with the reaction I got from them weather I want to stay or not. Oh and you can just call me Donnie or Don if you want" if it was even possibly Donnie felt his face go even redder then it already was and looked down at his feet rubbing the back of his neck hoping that by looking away from her for a few second it would will calm his racing heart.

"So Donnie, why did Irma have to save you from Fan-boys anyway? Are you some kind of super star at your old school or something?"

"Oh…um it's nothing like that. There were more interested in my two older brothers then me" Don had looked back up in shock as she saw the look of wonder on April's face. "Really you have two brothers that awesome. I don't have any myself, what's it like?"

"Three actually, two older brothers Leonardo and Raphael their both twins though they're nothing alike and my youngest brother Michelangelo, he can be a bit of a hand full but he's carefree and happy that it's hard to stay mad at him."

"Wow, so you're all named after famous renaissance artists/sculptures. What about your younger brother is he here to?" Irma asked.

Donatello was confused with their wonder with his family but answered her anyway. "No, Mikey's um a year younger then I am he's starting off his 7th year in Middle school."

"It's so cool, I only have a younger brother Zach, and he's the most annoying little brat in existence."

Donnie laughs "Ya Mikey can be like that to, he's always pulling pranks…"

"Wait, 7th year then shouldn't that make you an 8th grader?" April asked before blushing herself and covering her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Oh…um it-it's okay." Donnie started holding on to his left arm in embarrassment "I um… actually spiked a few grades that's why I'm in high school now."

"A few?" Irma questions realising his wording was wrong.

"hehe, Ya I am kind of taking sophomore classes this year" he laughed a bit awkwardly.

"Sweet, so you can get us into all the cool sophomore parties"

"IRMA!"

"What he could?"

"No, I don't think that's going to happening. Most of my classmates aren't exactly impressed with someone younger than them doing the same work they can."

"Well they don't know what they're missing, right Irma?" April looked over to her friend as she nodded her head in agreement. "Okay so now what do you say we try out some of these games? I'm dying to try that one out" she pointed to a giant chess board game that was going on with the students playing as the pieces.

"Ah, s-sure?" Donnie said following after them, happy to have made some friends while at this event.

Donnie was trying to keep an opened mind while doing the group events having a hard time coming out of his shell, but with April and Irma there with him he found himself actually enjoying it. That is until April and Donnie trip over each other's feet in one of the games and hit another group causing them to turn around in annoyance. "Hey, what's your problem" the one said his friend nodding along with him.

"We're sorry it won't happen again" April said taking Donnie's hand as he offered it to her to help her up. The other guy caught a look at April and gave a weird smirk "what do you say you make it up to us red?"

"It was an accident, and we're sorry…" Donnie started pulling himself and April away when the first guy reached out and grabbed her arm. "Hey, we're not done here."

"Yes we are" April said trying to pull her arm away.

"Let go of her" Donnie said taking a step forward he wasn't too sure what he was going to do at first but he couldn't just stand there and do nothing. "Oh are you going to make us pencil neck."

Donnie only rolled his eyes at the insult and smiled as he looked over the guys shoulder "no, but the teacher standing 10 feet behind you will" crossing his arms in a silent victory as the two let go of April's arm with a "whatever" and made their way to the next game. "Thanks Donnie"

"A-anytime April" he blushed again for what felt like the hundredth time that day as they both turned around to find Irma who had run off again, Donnie was starting to wonder if this was a normal occurrence or a random coincidence.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. I had this Chapter done months ago with just a few edit changes to be done, but my life has gone to hell. I don't know when I'll be posting the next chapter, seeing as I need some time to recover from a loss and writing this story only seems to make me sad as i have now just lost my only (big) brother and have gone from being the baby of the family to an only child. So I hope you all enjoy this story, and thank you all for your support and comments. They mean a lot to me.**

**...**

After the two and a half weeks of high school Donnie was still miserable. Dodging the bullies at every turn and trying to keep those creepy sciences club fanboys off his back. They wouldn't leave him alone for a second; whether it be from asking about his brothers or asking him to join there club. It was started to scare him at how persistent they were getting.

Irma and April walked beside Donnie talking to him about those science nerds attacking him from all sides and the problems it was causing there friend. "I don't know what to do" Donnie asked shaking his head from side to side as he left the school on Friday evening. It frustrated him that all he wanted to do was join the science club and work on his experiment with people who would actually know what he was talking about unlike his family did, but it couldn't take the way they were acting with him.

April placed her hand on Donatello's shoulder stopping him in his track on his way to his brothers meeting spot like he did every day after school ended. "Donnie you have to stand up to them, tell them they have to stop" April said turning him around to face her.

"Or if you still want to join the science club make it an ultimatum." Irma announced behind them still continuing to walk past them cradling her books to her chest. "Irma!" April's shocked reply came as she couldn't believe Irma had just suggested a form of bribery. "What? They've hit a real wall with their robotics project and I know for a fact that Donatello here has already figured that out a week ago from just the small amount of information I'd given him about it." April turned her head from her friend, as both girls looked towards him for the answer.

"Well…" Donnie trailed off, "OMG Donnie!? You aren't actually thinking about it are you? Those guys are insane. You can't possibly think that this is okay? " April shouted in shock.

"What No? I- I mean I really do want to join and yes I have figured out that their main output ratio and calibration servos are way out of the parameters for this kind of specific ramifications…" seeing the blank look on April's face, he stopped and ran his hand over his neck sheepishly "Ya so my point is, I don't think it's such a good idea to use them like that."

"Why not? They're going to be using you for that big brain of yours Donatello. Hell, I'm based in the sciences and even I only know what you talking about half the time" Irma stated with a smile on her face seeing nothing wrong with her idea.

"I think what Donnie meant is that he doesn't have to prove anything to those guys right?" with a nod from him she continued. "They should want him for who he is not because his brothers are popular, and believe that by having Donnie there it will make their club cooler, because it really won't. They need to learn that, how they're treating him is wrong and that they shouldn't be bulling him to join for selfish reasons" finishing her argument with her hand on her hip; stating that she was clearly not happy about the science clubs behavior.

"Thanks April…I think? But I'm still going to think about it" seeing that she was going to interject again he continued with "not the ultimatum part. I just like science and there club is the only option I have to participate in the sciences fairs and competitions." Donnie, huffed his bag higher onto his shoulder and began walking away from his new friends saying his goodbyes for the weekend. "Anyway I have to get going Leo and Raph have practise until 6 and Mikey and I are going down to the junkyard. Hope you ladies have a great weekend."

Confused Irma asked "junkyard why on earth would you need to go there?!" shouting as Donnie made his way down the drive, he turned back to them with a shrug "where else to you get metal components to fabricate scientific discovery?" that famous gapped tooth smile shining back at them.

"Um…radio shack, genius" April laughed as he gave one final wave and took off running to meet his little brother on the corner bench on their way to the metal scrap yard.

…

While at the junkyard Donatello thought back to his conversation with April and Irma wondering if it wasn't for them the only relief he would get in that school would be when the day had ended. He also found himself looking forward to his lunch hours, not like must student; who enjoyed their free period with no teachers or school work but because it was the only time he got to hang out with Irma and his sweet April. Donatello's cheeks flushed as he thought about her, and then flinched as a loud crash sounded behind him.

Turning around Donnie saw his younger brother standing over a pile of metal pipping that had crashed all around him. Raising an eyebrow at him, Mikey simply shrugged his shoulders with an 'oops' and moved onto the next pile of their junkyard dumpster diving.

Donnie gave a little laugh and shook his head, continuing to dig through his own pile as well.

For the last couple of weeks over the summer after his pre elective courses for school and after school in the spring, Donatello had been sneaking off to the metal junkyard to collect supplies for his next projects while his older brother were otherwise engaged in their team practises or other activates .

On some of these occasions Michelangelo had been joining him on these random junkyard visits. Donnie was very thankful on the day that his younger brother would join him on these trips; it helped him out in more ways than one. One the one hand he enjoyed the company and on the other Mikey would help him carry the heavier items back to the house or more often being a great distracting to his brothers long enough for Donnie to slip into the garage with the equipment while Leo or their father prided Raph off of Mikey for whatever his pranking distraction had inflicted upon them.

Donne had to give it to his little brother he never ceased to amaze him, if it wasn't for Mikey Donnie predicted that he would have been caught weeks ago and the plans he had for the twins upcoming birthdays would have be ruined.

Now with only two weeks left until the twins 16th birthday he was running out of time to finish them and Donatello was working furiously to get there presents ready on time. With the start of school, homework and the increasing amount of sporting events from his brother's old teams finishing off their season and their new teams starting off there season, it was becoming hard to juggle all his projects.

He had something planned for each one of his brothers, it would be something that they were both of darer need of, but due to funds were unable to have them. He wanted to do something special for his big brothers and hoped that they liked them and wouldn't fight too much over them.

Both of his bothers hated sharing anything and would fight to the bitter end before the problem was solved or in most cases our father would break the fighting up before it got too bad. His gifts would hopefully stop a few of these fights that have been going on for the last couple of weeks.

It was by nothing short of a miracle that the twins themselves didn't even share the same birthday. Whether that was a plus for us or them we'll never know. Because even though they are both twins Leo was born first at 11:57pm on September 30th and Raph was born 5 minutes after at 12:02am giving him October 1st weird I know but it's worked out for the both of them and the sanity of this family.

Multiple crashes were heard to Donatello's left, in turning in that direction he saw Mikey was digging through another pile of parts and throwing scrap pieces over his shoulder with a "Nope, nope…ooh nice" he stopped on the last one with excitement in his voice before the console he was holding broke in half and fell to the ground with a *cluck* "defiantly a big nope- there" throwing the item over his shoulder with the rest of the pile behind him.

Rolling his eyes at his younger brother Donnie continued with his work sorting through the good pieces and the beyond repair one. A couple of minutes later Donnie cried out in joy as he raised up his discovery high into the air and shouted his excitement. "Yes, I can't believe I found it!" he yelled holding a dented old compression coil above his head. "It's just the part I needed to finish Spike's heat lamp for Raph. Who would even throw away a perfectly good compression coil like this?

"I know-bra, those whatsits are my favourite kind of coils." Mikey grinned excited to see his older brother so happy.

"Mine too!" Donnie said not picking up on Mikey's joke.

Mikey's eyes light up as he fed off of his older brothers excitement with his own discovery of a metal cylinder that reminded him of a rocket "Oh oh,oh, oh 'D' do you think you can make me a jet pack for my birthday?!"

"Um…no I-don't think so, Mikey" Donnie said confused.

"But why not?" Mikey whined.

"I'll give you three reasons" Donnie held up three fingers counting off each reason as he went "one because it hasn't been invented yet, two its years away from even being a reality and three there is no- way I'm trusting YOU with a jet pack."

"Hash bro, hash… but come on you're a genius. I'm sure if anyone can do it, it's you bro."

"um...Gee Mikey, thanks." rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, in see the grin that spread onto his little brother's face from that comment he added "But I'm still not building it for you. Besides Mikey, I don't have the resources I would need to build one" a smile crapped up the cover of his mouth at the reply only his baby brother could give.

"Bummer."

"Ha, ha yes bummer now come on we don't have much time before Leo and Raph get home from their practises!" both brothers turned from the junkyard dragging there hoard of equipment behind them.

…

"Oh man, we are so late." Donnie panicked as the time ticked down to 6:35pm Leo and Raph would already be home by now and with his luck they would be sitting in the living room right now, which was going to make it impossible to sneak into the house undetected.

"Don't sweat it 'D' good old Michelangelo has got you covered." Mikey said clapping his hand on his older brother's back before making his way around back; most likely to enter through the back door, no less passing Leonardo in the garden as he went.

After doing this for the last couple of weeks we have both found out that if you want to make a good distraction or in this cause a make a big seen you have to go for the perfect target and that target was none other than the one and only Raphael. Sure it was a dangerous mission to send my only baby brother into but it was our best option, Raph kicked up the biggest storm to fly under the radar to; there could be a natural disaster outside and no one would know about it over Raph's cursing and screaming.

I peeked into the front window of the house waiting for my que; Mikey rounded the corner of the kitchen and snuck up behind Raph with an air horn in his hands. He took one look at me making sure I was ready then held the horn up behind Raph's head. "Mikey, no" I mouthed to him a distraction was one this but this… this would really piss him off our hot tempered brother was not known for his forgiving nature.

Once Mikey was in position squatting behind Raphael he leaned over a push down on the horn; to this day I still don't know what was louder the horn or Raphael's girly scream. It took everything I had to not collapse into a fight of laughter after that scream. Hearing the distant shouts from the house I pulled myself together to see Raph recovered and chasing Michelangelo out of the living room through the kitchen and must likely into the backyard forcing Leo to get up and pull them apart.

Donnie wasn't about to let this perfect opportunity to sneak in through the front door going to waste, he dove through the front door dragging his bag of parts behind him. The bag was a little harder to move without Mikey but he made it to the garage and closed the door behind him. His lungs gave a little whiz from the execution and the effort of not laughing at his brother so hard his insides would be screaming in pain. And with that reminder he gave another laugh stealing the last of his air, with a quick hand he pulled off his school bag from his back a dove into the front pocket for his inhaler, giving it a good shake before taking a in big breathe. The amount of air he got from the inhaler always made him a little headed but he was at least able to caught his breathe, even if he couldnt wipe the smile off his face. He'd have to remember to tell April about Raph's freak-out at school on Monday It always made he laugh how much Raphael could freak out sometimes. Sighing to himself he picked up the materials that he and Mikey had collected, and brought them over to the corner of the room hidden behind his desk to begin sorting them out on the desk in front of him.

"Alright time to get to work" Donnie picked up the compression coil he needed to finish off his work and began hammering out the dents. With only 10 days left to finish there presents he was cutting it a little close for comfort and finally after today's trip things were looking up.

Focusing on the task at hand Donatello began to make a mental check list of the projects he had to work on within that time. He believed that Leo's present was something that would benefit the whole family and with the new parts he just got should only take him two maybe three days or so and when it was done Leo was going to be getting a newly refurbished iPod and docking stating; as the old one had been thrown out a second story window last year, when Raph didn't like the music Leo was playing while he was trying to work-out; in the basement they share over the winter mouths when it becomes too cold for Leo to practise outside n the gardens. Donnie just hoped a fight didn't break out over that too. They both have two very different personalities let alone taste in music. Leo prefers the classics; such as jazz or instrumental while Raph went more for the heavy metal or punk rock music.

As for Raph, Donnie had two ideas planned for him, one was for a pair of noise cancelling headphones that he fixed up, because unlike Raph, Leo hated having his headphones on while working out; saying that the cord would always get in the way of his movements and messing up his katas. So this would at least save the docking station from Raph's…well wrath.

The second part of his gift was for Raph's favourite thing in the world, his pet turtle Spike. Otosan had been complaining that the electricity bill had gone up in the past couple of winters since they had gotten Spike 5 years ago. Spike had been the therapist's idea to help Raph coup with the loss of their mother and the stress of Donatello's injuries. He had also suggested that Leonardo should speak with him as well but Leo had refused saying he wasn't comfortable with talking to a stranger when he could talk to his family instead. So our father had simply helped Leo in the ways of meditation, it seemed to work for him so he agreed. Mikey on the other hand was a trickier case but we found out that he wouldn't stay depressed for long as his normal energetic-self bounced back right after Donatello was back on his feet. But Donnie found that every so often Mikey he would go quite or make more noise than necessary, to appear happier. But all those actions could be controlled by two people either our father sitting Mikey down and having him vent his fears or being around Donatello simply watching him work or talking for hours. When we were younger for those first couple of year Mikey would always climb into my bed at night to check on me; I think it was his way of helping the both of us.

But back to the subject at hand, Raph's second present was a heat lamp for Spike. Now I know that generally heat lamps take a lot of electricity too but I was working on a kill switch that would turn on at different times of the day. Unfortunately this is where I caught a snag in my project. I couldn't get the time deration to activate more than twice a day or for long enough spans of time. I couldn't have it going all day or night so I had taken a couple of days to think it over. And one night while my brothers and I were watching an old war movie it hit me a kill switch like the land mine the solider had stepped on, well you know without the explosion that followed.

I could have a normal switch for Raph to turn on when he was at home and turns off after 2 or 3 hours, and for those days when he would get home late because of a game or party I would create a platform that Spike could activate him-self, there for solving the electric bill problem and not having Raph frantically surrounding his turtle with every lamp in the house in order to keep him warm, while our father would be happy about the energy savings as well.

Speaking of our father he also had a special gift for the twins, though it was to be when he took them to get there drivers licences at the DMV. But what would really the surprise was what he was planning on giving them after their test if they past, an old beat-up green 2001 Chevy Malibu that he bought off a family friend for them to share. Again Donatello didn't know how well that would go over with Raph if they both got there licence.

So Donnie sat at his work bench in the garage for the last 3 hours working away on that kill switch using the new compression coil he and Mikey had found to take the pressure off the other heavier components of the lamps diagnostic timer. He had almost gotten it to work when a knock came at the door. Startled he jumped up from his sit and spun around to face the visitor as the door creaked open.

"Hey, D! Are you coming, or what?" Mikey asked sticking his head through the doorway.

"C-coming…?" he answered not too sure what his younger brother was talking about. "To my game? You promised you would come, remember?" he said looking at the unfinished heat lamp on my desk. Mikey knew better than any of my brothers how easily I got distracted when I was working on a project so he had most likely come to check on me. "Oh, right…sorry Mikey, I'll be right out the second I put this away."

"Alright 'D' just hurry up we have to be at the field in like 20 minutes. You're going to love this game Donnie those North Gate Panthers, have no chance against us. And when we win tonight we'll be a lock in for the championships! So move your butt." Mikey's excitement was contagious and it was hard not to be excited too. With that said he turned from the doorway and shouted down the hall for the others to hurry up as well, only to hear his cry of pain as Raph hit him for hurry him. Laughing at his younger brother's enthusiasm Donnie covered his project with an old beat-up blanket and exiting the garage and meeting his family by the front door.

"About time, come on come on" Mikey shouted as he grabbed his rain coat and ran out the door, the others not for behind him.

We all arrived at the field with minutes to spare, a new record in our family. Normally we can never get anywhere on time with five people running around with five different schedules it becomes a challenge to pull off, but there is a first for everything I guess.

Mikey had run off ahead of us in order to warm up with his teammates and pre game strategy while my brothers and I set up the chairs next the field. Otosan had followed after Mikey in order to drop off the snack for the game seeing as it was our turn to provide them this week.

With the chairs setup I sat down and watched my little brother warm up bouncing around with a mile wide smile spread across his face. Seeing one of my brothers so happy always made me feel better no matter what mood I was in, I hadn't realised it until now just how stressed I was in between the constant bulling at school. No matter how much my brothers, April and Irma tried to stop them they couldn't be with me all the time and no matter how they tried they would always seemed to find me.

Lost in my thoughts I was startled back to reality as Leo yelled out a cheer next to me as the game was well on its way. My eyes immediately found Mikey tarring down the field ball almost flooding as he flew up the field moving over and around the opposing team; it was amazing it was like no one could touch him.

I stud from my chair and began to shout along with my family, "YAY, GO MIKEY GO!" Leo and Otosan, standing and shouting right next to me waving our hands in the air and cheering at the top of our lungs. Raph wouldn't join in on our pre goal cheering saying it wasn't anything to go crazy over, at least not until Mikey had made the first goal, but I could always tell he wanted to be right there with us acting like a crazy person not that his tuff guy routine would ever allow him.

The game was intense and my nerves were starched as we were in the last stretch of the game with only seconds left on the clock tied at 15-15 and North Gate in position of the ball. I sat on the edge of my sit biting my nails as I watched them take off towards our goal, rain and trudged the field soaking it through making Mikey's teammates work harder to keep their footing or get control of the ball. Players jumping and driving into the mud kicking up wave after wave of water, with each fail attempted the panthers moved further down the field.

"Come on- get in there! " Leo shouted beside me holding his umbrella high, spraying extra water droplets onto Raph as he shook it angry. "Hey knock it off Shell head!" Raph growled pulling the hood of his rain coat tighter over his head. I ignored them both as I watched the clock count down the last 15 seconds. North Gate was so close to our goal, I took in a sharp intake of air as I saw the forward windup for his kick. My heart was pounding in my throat; making every beat feel like an eternity as time began to go in slow motion. I watched painfully as he went to make contact with the ball he was inches away now, the game would be over any second when… BAM out of nowhere Mikey comes skidding into the path of the ball knocking it out of the way and right into the waiting chest of one of his teammates who took off running. They rallied back tearing through the muddy field dodging the North Gate players to the other end of the field kicking and passing the ball back and forth from one player to the next. I couldn't take it, I didn't want to look but I couldn't take me eyes off that ball (**7sec.**) another pass, dive (**5sec.**) a feint, over the head kick pass the opposing teams shoulder and right to Mikey (**3sec.**) as he rounded the outer corner, (**2sec.**) winding up for the kick *thunk, (**1sec.**) Swoosh!

_**BBBBBBUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!**_

"Yeah!" the crowd went nuts, jumping from there sits umbrellas and hoods forgotten as there excitement over took there need to stay dry and warm. "They did it! Mikey's team WON! 15-16."

My family and I were jumping in our seats cheering along with Mikey and his Team has they ran the field yelling, flipping and hugging and going just as crazy as the crowd around them. In their victory they were too excited and ignored their coach as he kept yelling at them to come back and get out of the rain.

They didn't seem to care though they had already been playing in it for the past 30 minutes but I could see where he was coming from they were starting off in the championships and the last thing they needed was to forfeit because of the whole team came down with the flu. I pulled my umbrella closer and turned to our father "Otosan, I'll get Mikey and meet you guys by the car!" I shouted over the noise of the storm and cheering parents.

"Alright, Donatello and please hurry the weather looks like it is taking a turn for the worst."

"Hai" I called back has I ran down the hill to get Mikey. He met me half way with a towel thrown over his head, I through my arm over his should and brought him in for a big hug "that was amazing little Bro, I'm so proud of you!" I couldn't stop smiling, I was so happy nothing could ruin how good I was feel nor the happiness that seeing my only little brother smiling brighter than the sun itself hugging me back so hard I thought my back would break. "Come on we have to get you out of this storm before you get sick" I said pulling him towards the car.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A couple days after the soccer match Mikey had managed to catch a full blown cold, it was a mild one but he still needed one of his brothers to look after him while their father had to go back to work on Monday night. They would all take their turns in looking after Michelangelo, but he was hard to deal with on a normal bases, let alone when he was sick. With his weaken state he liked to use that to his advantage and as much as we wanted to deny him, it was hard to say no to him. He had pushed his sick routine into Monday night and although the brothers knew he was still partly sick he was getting on everyone nerves.

Donatello had just left Michelangelo's room on Monday night in order to get his little brother some food asking Raphael to watch over him while he was gone.

"Raphie, my necks sore can you fluff my pillows for me?" Mikey whined with a light cough.

"Forget it Mikey, now lie down and shut up" Raph growled. "But Raphie…*cough, cough*Donnie does it for me" he added an extra fake cough for good measure to get a sympathetic look. "Well then get him to do it for ya again because I ain't doing it. You've been sick for 2 days now, suck it up already and lose the fake cough." Raph growled at his youngest brother crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.

"Raph, what is wrong with you? Don't talk to him like that" Leo said as he made his way into the room, Donnie following right behind him with a bowl of soup for his little brother on a tray.

"What? We all know his fine; he's just dragging this out so we'll wait on him hand and foot!" Raph grumbled. As Donatello rolled his eyes at his brother placing the tray of food down on the table and helping Mikey sit up, while the eldest brother glared each other down.

"Leonardo, Raphael may I have a word" Yoshi asked from the doorway speaking to his two eldest sons.

"Hai, Otosan" Leo said following his father out into the hall, Raph close behind.

As his sons entered the hallway Yoshi turned towards them "My sons, I need one of you to look after Michelangelo while I head back to work tonight."

"I'm sorry Otosan, but I can't tonight. It's Karai and I's anniversary and we've made reservation. I can't cancel them, but I can look after him tomorrow if he's still not better" Leo replied back with a sad expiration.

"Very well my son. Raphael can I trust that you will look after your brother while I'm gone" Yoshi turned to his second eldest son.

"No way! I'm not watching him tonight. I'm meting Casey and the guys down by the park for practise before the big game." Raph yelled back not believing that he would have to cancel his plans like this.

"Raphael, your brother needs you more than your friends do right now. I think they will understand if you sit this one practise out to look after him."

Raph looked over at his sick brother's door as he saw Donatello walk out with the now half empty tray of food in his hands figuring that Mikey wasn't able to keep the food down. "But I'm busy tonight ,why don't you make Donnie do it!" he shouted pointing an excusing finger at his immediate younger brother causing him to stop in his tracks as his name was called turning to face his hot tempered brother with a confused expression.

Yoshi shook his head and answered his ill-mannered son with a sigh. "Donatello has been looking after your brother all of yesterday and most of today, he deserves a rest himself.

"So!" he almost exploded "it's not like the nerd has anything better to do…or any friends for that matter" he mumbled the last part, before shouting again "just make him do it."

"Raphael! I will not have you speak of your brother with such disrespect. Apologise!"

Silence fell over the Hamato family as they looked between the two fore mentioned brothers. Donatello's head was bowed down as the tray in his hands shook slightly; either it be from anger or sadness they did not know, since Donatello could be very hard to read sometimes.

Raph stud there in shock seeing the reaction his words had caused his younger brother. "Donnie…I-I didn't mean it like …" Raph tried to stammer out before being cut off by Donnie.

"No Raphael," Donatello's voice was spoken in a whisper but the anger hidden behind it made Raph flinched slightly at the use of his full name "you meant every word of it. By all means go to your insignificant practise. This nerd will watch over the younger brother you seem to care so little about…like you said it's not like I have anything better to do." The sadness shone deep in his eyes as he glared at his brother before storming off.

"…" stunned Raph stud frozen to the spot, watching as Donnie storm off making his way down the stairs; most likely on his way to wash the dishes he pulled out of Michelangelo's room.

"Donatello" his father called stopping the intellectual boy in the stairwell. "You do not have to watch Michelangelo tonight. Raphael will do it!" turning slightly to face his ill-mannered son he added "Weather he likes it or not."

"Its fine Otosan, I don't mind. Besides Mikey's good company, unlike some people" he said glaring at Raph before continuing down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"You will do no such thing!" his words falling on deaf ears as Donatello left not wanting to ear anymore.

Hamato Yoshi then whipped around to his second eldest with rage burning in his eyes. "If you will not stay on your own free will, Raphael then I'm grounding you until you lean to properly respect and care for your brothers."

"What!" Raph shouted taring his eyes off the stairs for the first time since Donatello had left to look at his father. "But Otosan, why do I have to stay Donnie already said…"

"YAME!" Raph flinched for what felt like the hundredth time that day at his father's harsh words (or even Donatello's quite ones for that matter). "I will not repeat myself again, Raphael. Now I suggest you go to Michelangelo, and I expect you to apologies to Donatello before I return… do I make myself clear? Or are you're so called friends more important to you then your own family's well-being?"

Raph dropped his head "no sensei" with that Hamato Yoshi left for work, slamming the front door behind him. Raph turned his head towards his older brother. "Come on Leo, help me out here" he pleaded.

"Sorry Raph, but Father's right. How can you care about hanging out with Casey and the guys more than your own blood?"

"I never said that!" Raph flared his arms out in outrage.

"Really, Raph!? Because that's what it sounded like. You refused to take care of our little brother, because you had a practise with your friends. Then you insulted Donnie by calling him a nerd and saying that he doesn't have any friends. When you know how hard it is for him when he's 2 grades ahead of his old classmates. "

"Ya I know I just…"

"He's not a nerd, he's a genius," Leo continued on as if Raph hadn't even spoken. "Who I might add has helped you out with your homework in more ways than one. Also you can continue to play on that team you're so eager to get to."

"I know, I know" Raph gripped his hair.

"Then why would you say it?"

"I don't know okay! I was angry I didn't mean it. But you didn't want to cancel your plans either, so why is everyone so pissed at me and not you."

"Because I can't cancel the reservation. Karai and I have been planning this anniversary for two months. And if you would remember I agreed to help out tomorrow. But Raph what you said to Don… he said shaking his head.

"But…I"

"But nothing Raph. Donnie does a lot for this family and asks for nothing in return. How can you care so little when you know how long it took us just to get him to talk again after the… `he trailed off.

He didn't need to finish both brothers know what he was getting at, the accident where they had lost their mother and almost lost Donnie as well. It had taken them weeks to reach him. He had shut himself away from everyone, to guilty to look his own family in the eyes. After weeks of silences the first words he had said was 'I'm sorry` like it was his fault that she was gone and there father was left with the heavy burden of caring for four young boys alone and the debt that came with a funeral and his own hospital bills.

Raph bowed his head hating himself for hurting the one brother that suffered the most, they would do anything for Donnie and here he was insulting him. Donatello only didn't have any friends because he was to shy and didn't know how to approach people. For years, his brothers assumed Donnie thought he was better than them. He was a genius after all why would he need to lower himself to playing with them.

But the truth was that Donnie never thought that way about them at all, he just didn't know how to act around them. He thought he would be intruding on their world if he did, so he never played with them unless he was asked. And after a while the tots had stopped asking. Raph felt horrible about those days and needed to make them right, even more now.

"I know …" he answered the unspoken question "I'm sorry Leo."

"Don't say it to me, say it to Donnie. Though I doubt you're the last person he wants to talk to right now." And with that Leonardo headed off to his rom closing the door behind him leaving Raph alone and confused on what to do next.

The first thing that came to his emotional raging mind was to cancel on Casey. So he pulled out his phone from his back pocket and text.

_TXT:_ grounded, can't come out tonight. Need to watch over Mickey. Sick.

_TXT_: that sucks bro, but it cool. Say hi to the little guy for me. Hope he feels better.

_TXT_: will do. Talk to ya tomorrow.

_TXT_: swt! see ya than.

With that done he put the phone back into his pocket and headed to Mikey's room he didn't want to believe it was so easy. Why did he make such a big fuss about his friends? It all seemed to simple now, no wonder everyone freaked out on him.

Apon entering Mikey's room he saw the sweat that was on Mikey's face the wash cloth that Donnie had most likely put on his forehead had long since gone warm and had fallen off onto the pillow. Looking around he saw a bowl of water sitting next to Mikey's bed, so with a sigh Raph grabbed the cloth from the pillow and dunked it into the Luke warm water thinking to himself that it need to be changed soon as he rang out the cloth and placed it back on his little brothers head. He smiled as his brother relaxed into the cloth the moment it touched his skin, Raph was happy that the fever wasn't very high and should be gone by tomorrow.

Before he could do anything a raspy voice spoke out to him "thanks D."

"Not quite, Germ" he chucked it had always been a nickname for the brothers whenever they were sick, even though Donnie held the record '_Hell Donnie would probably be the next one to get sick with taking care of Mikey for almost 2 days. Why had he made such a fuse again?'_

"Ra…*cough* Raphie? Where'd Don go?"

"Probably advoiding me" he sighed turning away from Mikey and resting his elbows on his knees from his spot on Mikey's bed.

"*cough* what did you do this time?" Mikey looked up with a slight smile.

"Like your one to talk" he chuckled before becoming serious. "I didn't want to cancel my plans with Casey in order to take care of you…" he paused not wanted to say more.

"Ya… and?" Mikey asked.

Raph cringed at his brother's rare observation, how could there brother be so oblivious one minute and observant the next and all when you really didn't want him too be. "Sooo…I told Otosan 'why should I cancel my plans when Don was already here.' Then I had to go and open my big mouth and insulted him by calling him a nerd and saying he had no friends." He groaned dropping his face into his hands "Arg, I screwed up."

"Harsh bro…*cough* and wrong, Donnie does have friends two in fact. Why would you say that?"

"I don't know, I was angry…" Raph paused in his guilty hearing what Mikey just said "Wait, how do YOU know about his friends?" Raph was general confused now how Mikey would know about Donatello's friends when none of them had come over to the house or Mikey not even going to the high school with them; seeing as how he was still in middle school.

"huh? Oh, he told me…*cough * told me that he met April and Irma at the 9th grade opener. Though I think he likes April a little more" he smiled thinking for seeing the blush rise on Donatello's face if he was here right now.

"But why would he tell you and not us?" Raph asked

"Have you asked him? D's not a secretive person Raph, he do talks a lot *cough* all you have to do is listen" Mikey sighed as he closed his eyes feeling tired and rubbed throat it was starting to get sore from his all this talking.

To say that Raph was shocked to hear these things from Michelangelo of all people was no joke. Mikey wasn't known to listen well at home or at school for that matter, his ADHD gave him a hard time focusing on things (other than video game that is), so to hear him accuse Raph of not listen to Donnie made him think _'when was the last time he really talked to Donnie?'And would the brainiac even want to._ "Well I don't think he'll want anything to do with me now."

A slight shuffling noise from the door caught Mikey's attention as he saw his older brother in doorway with a glass of water in his hands frozen not knowing if he should enter or not with Raph there. Mikey was thankful that his brother had brought him the water and as much as he needed the water Mikey's mind thought of a plan to get Raph to say how he felt; knowing that Raph would think he would be too tired to remember.

"It- it's not rocket science Raphie *cough* though I'm sure 'D' could understand it even if it was" he laughed seeing the large smile on his brothers face at the weak joke before going into a coughing fit. Raph then reached over and rubbed small circles on Mikey's chest just like their mother used to do for them to help them relax. "J-just say…just say sorry" Mikey finished after he was able to control his fit.

"Mikey…" Raph started before being stop by Mikey "just say it, Raph" determination written all over his face.

"Mikey I… okay fine just calm down" Raph agreed seeing that his little brother wasn't going to back down and not wanting him to tire himself out more did just that. "This stays between me and you got it?" Mikey's response was a mute nod, locking his lips and throwing away the key his eyes trying not to look at the door where Donnie still stud.

"Donnie…I'm sorry, I screwed up at being your big brother. I'm supposed to protect you guys from being hurt. Not cause it. I take it back, you're not a friendless nerd, you're a genius with two girlfriends…" Raph chuckled oblivious to his intellectual brother standing right behind him listen.

But at that line Donatello was unable to keep quiet for any longer. "They are NOT my girlfriends! We…we're just friends!" Donnie shouted taking a step closer.

Shocked Raph whipped around and stud up not expecting to hear his normally clam brother yelling at him. But in hearing the words Donnie said Raph couldn't resist it when he saw the deep blush building on his brothers face "Are you sure about that?" he smiled.

"Y-ya… I mean yes? We're just friends" Donnie stumbled. Not wanting to talk about this any longer Donnie tried to change the subject to focus on Raph instead of him, "did you really mean that Raph?"

Thinking that Donnie was still talking about his not girlfriends said "have you asked one of them out yet?"

"WHAT!? No, I meant about what you said. Are you actually sorry?" Donnie stud there stark still waiting to seeing if Raph was really telling the truth and not just saying what he did to make Mikey stop talking.

Raph opened and closed his mouth once then twice before giving up and just nodded his head. Satisfied with his answer Donatello smiled "Then I forgive you."

"No!" Raphael shouted shocked at the volume of his voice "Don you can't forgive me that easily. What I said… it was wrong on so many levels." He stopped as a hand fell onto his shoulder.

"Yes, Raph it was a stupid thing to say, I get it but we're family right I-I don't want to be the one who tares this family apart…again."

"Don you never…"

"No hear me out. I know the accident wasn't my fault I-I get that now. But you all gave up so much to help me, and I can never be more grateful for you guys. So let me say this…thank you-for being my brothers.

Raph and Mikey where speechless Donnie never talked about the accident not unless one of them caught him having a nightmare about it. What more could they do then nod their heads and smile.

"Good" he said walking past Raph to Mikey's bed side handing him the glass of water while pulling a package of Advil out of his pocket popping one out and handing it to his brother. Mikey swallowed it down and allowed Donnie to tuck him in just like when they were little.

As Mikey settled in Donnie re-wetted the cloth and dapped it over his sweaty brow. "Don I can do this? You don't have to stay…" Raph looked on as his brother as he continued to dab the sweat off Mikey's head.

"But I want too; now go you can cover me in an hour." Donnie replied looking at Raph with genuine eyes. Raphael begrudgingly agreed knowing that there was nothing he could say to change his mind, turned from his brothers and walked out of Mikey's room. Donnie never ceased to amaze him.


End file.
